Tag Archives: Amphibious Boat-Car

James Bond-like amphibious boat-cars are real and they have found a new following in Minnesota, the great state of 10,000 lakes.

No seriously, amphibious cars have made their way back into popularity and can now be seen on a few Minnesota lakes. Only a few days ago at Bryant Lake in Minneapolis the new sci-fi cars made an appearance. As spectators watched, the cars drove right from the boat launch into the water. James Bond style!

Say goodbye to pulling your speed boat on a trailor behind your car. Now you can have an all in one boat-car! The official names of the vehicles are Amphicars. They may not be the most functional boats or cars, but they work as both! The cars were actually originally made in the 1960’s by Germany for purely recreational use. Just as they started to gain real popularity, the company that created them shut their doors forever.

Actually, in Minnesota the Amphicars have resurfaced with quite a large following, considering their obscurity. However, a sense of humor helps when driving them. The weirdly rounded rear ends make them a unique site.

But watch out, these babies can get up to a roaring 7 miles an hour on water and 70 on land. But how exactly do the boat-cars make the switch from land to water? The driver basically flips a simple switch that makes the doors air tight. Once the transmission is in neutral and the propellors under the back bumper kick on, its smooth sailing from there! The amphicar is steered using the wheel as the front wheels act as rudders.

And then when coming back into dry ground, the trick is to take the car out of neutral and hope the engine did not get, ahem, flooded. *Pun intented! With the rate of advancement of technology these days, the Amphicars are sure to keep evolving.

Let me know if you have ever rode in one, I’d love to hear what it’s like! They sure make a great conversation starter.